Not long after attending a racing-specific training camp, Jake Lappin began competing alongside Australian Paralympic legends, Kurt Fearnley and Richard Colman, and in 2010 he represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Jake was also dominant at the National Underage Championships that year, taking home five gold medals.

He made his Paralympic debut at the 2012 Games in London and was a member of the 4x100m relay team that took bronze. The following year Jake competed at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France, and then again in 2015 in Doha, Qatar.

His career still in its infancy, Jake was ranked 17th in the world in the 400m and 800m heading into the 2016 Paralympic Games but was confident in his ability to reach new heights in Rio. Unfortunately, Jake was forced to withdraw from competition due to illness just two events into his Games campaign, meaning the Australian 4x400m relay team comprising Jake, Kurt, Richard and Sam Carter did not compete in the final.

Jake bounced back to top form in June 2017 as he prepared for the London world championships during a series of races in Switzerland. He broke Kurt Fearnley’s national 800m record which had stood for 13 years. He also set three personal bests during the competitions.

At the London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, Jake competed in the 400m, 800m and 1500m, with a best result of 10th in the 1500m. A win in the T54 1500m at the Australian Championships in February 2018, locked up automatic selection for his second Commonwealth Games. He was also selected in the marathon.

When he isn’t studying, training or competing, Jake enjoys hanging out with his mates and playing the guitar and drums. He enjoys listening to Daft Punk and is working towards one day owning a gym. A special talent of Jake’s is his ability to perform push-ups without the use of his legs.

In 10 years’ time, Jake hopes to be competing at such a level that he can beat the times of his role model, five-time Paralympian Kurt.